Nifty Thrifty

Back in high school under the guidance of an extremely talented cheer leading coach, I became quite the little thrifter. There were a couple of really great places besides your typical Goodwill that I would frequent and I always found unique items at great prices. I even added the traditional retail challenge, Ross Dress for Less, into my thrifting rounds since their pieces are at discounted prices but you must have time and patience to find something worth having there too.

I've decided I need to take thrifting back up as a weekly habit, and take advantage of the money saved by shopping this way. I love clothes, and I love new things but it can be very draining! And it's not fun to just not buy anything. So I feel like thrift shopping is a compromise. Now I'm pretty picky, and I pretty much only buy dresses/skirts/pants/tops/outerwear, but Statesboro has some excellent discount thrift and consignment shops. One of the largest, Deja Vu, is unfortunately closed right now due to a fire next door, but down the street is Madame Couture's {which has new and used}, and the Goodwill in town is pretty good too!

This weekend, I visited the Goodwill on Wilmington Island in Savannah. I had heard good things from there, and was able to find two cute dresses that will be great for fall/winter. Christopher got two golf polos from the Wilmington Island Country Club that looked like they had never been worn! For me, I have to have an idea of what I want when I go thrifting, especially to make sure that I don't buy something that I really don't want and will never wear. Lately, I've been trying to bulk up my fall wardrobe with pieces that I can wear to work and out and about. Here are some of the inspirational Pinterest pics I've been using, and the pieces I'm looking for:

Longer vintage midi skirts for cooler weather,
and solid button down shirts that can
go with anything.

Solid color sweaters for layering,
or fitted sweatshirts to add embelishments

Unique blazers to spice up basics,
as well as one of a kind statement tops to
pair with black pants or skinny jeans.

I can't wait to shop at Clothes Mentor in Savannah on my next weekend trip. My friend Ashton also has great luck with thrifty re-sell accounts on Instagram. What are some of your best thrift tips? And what pieces do you look for?

*All pictures via Pinterest. None are my own. 

Fall Favorites

Happy Fall! The temps have already dropped just a little bit, and there is a chill in the air early in the mornings around Statesboro. I can't wait for it to be full-blown fall with sweaters, boots, and scarves a total necessity. I don't really have a favorite season {my least favorite is winter, for sure}, and there are lots of reasons that I love fall.

1. Sweaters, boots, scarves. Duh. 
   Boots and vests are easily my number one, go to outfit makers of the season. They make dresses last longer during the cold seasons, and dress up leggings and other basics. Also, why can't leggings be work appropriate?
   
   
2. The Fair! 
   The Statesboro Fair holds a special place in my heart. It's always the week of my birthday, and is where Christopher and I first met. We've gone every year except last year when I didn't live here, and it's what I always tell him I want for my birthday.
   
   
3. Salted Caramel Mocha drinks from Starbucks. 
   I like pumpkin stuff as much as the next girl, but anyone who knows me knows my greatest weakness is salt. Now before I hear another lesson on how unhealthy salt is, I'll have you know that I have the lowest blood pressure of anyone I know...which is saying a lot considering how wound up I usually am. This drink tastes like Christmas. It forces me into Starbucks, a place I normally avoid like the plague {cough..cough..Fivebucks}. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but this drink makes my insides feel happy.
   
   
4. Stores decorating for Christmas. 
   It's never too early! I don't care what you say! I'd honestly prefer it if we skipped Halloween and Thanksgiving all together and just plowed straight into Christmas with arms wide open. Hobby Lobby may or may not have begun putting their Christmas things out in July, and I may or may not already be stocking up on new ornaments and decorations. 
5. Pumpkin bread, and other fall baking. 
   Punkins...punkins...I love pumpkin bread. I usually just whip up the Krusteaz box mix from Sam's Club, but the real kicker is the lemon curds. Lemon curds, you ask? Oh it makes pumpkin and gingerbread goodies the ultimate cold weather foods. The tangy jam makes the spices come to life, and I can't have pumpkin bread without it.
   
   
6. Football. 
   Football is kind of a big deal in the South. I grew up a Clemson girl, and went to Georgia Southern, so obviously football is kind of a big deal to me too. What do I love most about football? All of it: the all day tailgating and late game nights, the dressing up in the perfect combination of colors, the screaming until you can't scream any more, getting the perfect game day picture in your game day sorority button, and if you're not actually attending the game...finding the only place in town that's playing your game and settling in to watch it with some wings and spinach artichoke dip.
   
   
7. Festivals. 
   Apple festivals, cotton festivals, even the marble festival in my mom's hometown--I love them all. Some of the best fall memories come from watching cloggers while eating boiled peanuts and fried Milky Way's outside by some rock jewelry makers. 
8. That smell in the air. 
   I can't describe it, but you know. It's crisp, a little smokey, and comforting. The first time I sense it, I get butterflies. 
9. The slant of the sun. 
   I started noticing it at the end of July, and now the sun is almost completely gone by 7:30 p.m. It's dark when I wake up now, too. I have diagnosed myself with SAD {Seasonal affective disorder}, so I cling tightly to the disappearing minutes of sunlight each day. I hate winter, specifically post-Christmas, because it's always so dark, and the sun looks funny, and there are no Christmas lights up any longer to light my way. 
10. Blankets. 
    Have you ever known anyone to sleep with only a sheet? This is unacceptable. I need blankets. Preferably three on my bed, and one to snuggle with...and wrap around my neck like I'm trying to strangle myself in my sleep like my mother says. I want blankets on the couch, in the car for football games, everywhere! 

What are your favorite things about fall?
Also, follow me on Instagram for more fun pics! @piperellice

It's Never Enough

It begins earlier and earlier, every year. I honestly don't understand why this happens. I feel like I'm a pretty up-front and honest kind of person. I've got my quirks, my likes and dislikes, but I feel like I'm probably a pretty easy read. Apparently not. 

The Christmas Power Point has already been requested. It is September {in case you were wondering}, and I've already received multiple requests for the birthday/Christmas gift list. It really is so unfair...don't you people know all the good things come out between my birthday and Christmas? Either way, I will dutifully try my best to formulate a place to start. Thanks to Pinterest, it's a little bit easier to begin hoarding ideas months in advance.

So we shall begin, with this tentative list of goodies I've been eyeing for quite some time. This list is subject to change at any moment. All changes will be documented. Okay, let's go:

These highly sought after Ray Bans from Urban Outfitters
Often out of stock, but can be found here.  $140

Mirrored coffee table from Target. $160

Georgia Southern Sweatshirt
from Walker Boutique. $50

Quatrefoil mirror from Target. $25

Work appropriate rain boots, like these from Hunter. $210

Roku Streaming Stick, around $40.
I have a Roku, but need one more for the other TV. 

And also, I'd like a new vacuum. How does one even choose that? I literally have no idea.

What's on your Christmas/birthday/everyday list? And what should I add? 

Join the Journey

This past Saturday, September 6th, was a big day in Statesboro. It marked the first home game for Georgia Southern, who began it's first year in the Sunbelt Conference the week before. All week was a celebration of "Paint the Town Blue" and gearing up for a day of fun. I was excited to have all the girls in town over for brunch before the game. Everyone brought a little something, with highlights being the Mimosa bar, pigs in a blanket (thanks, Tommy!), and a yummy breakfast casserole.

Where the boys should be...
in the kitchen!

Before the game started, there was a special ceremony recognizing the important flags that fly in Paulson Stadium. The first was the moving of the National Championship flags. Georgia Southern has won six National Championships, more than any other team! The six flags will now hang permanently by the new Football Operations Center. Then, they hung the Sun Belt Conference flag. 

 

I had no clue how awesome this first game would be. Fireworks, smoke, and an extremely long and misdirected flight by Freedom during the first few minutes of the game gave me chills. 

First Kick-off
ONE MORE TIME!

Look at this stud!

The Military Appreciation game is one of my favorites of the year. This year, the team wore red, white, and blue, and the "Eagles" on the field was decked out in stars and stripes. And of course, there was the parachute drop which is always a lot of excitement.

Besides being rained on, followed by it being blisteringly hot, and essentially sweating to death, it was a really great game day. I was pretty anxious about it, especially considering it was my first true game as an alumni, but it was a lot of fun. The night ended with a great 83-9 win for the Eagles! Now on to September 25th and the App State game...

Bucket List Recap

It really feels like summer is over. I'm definitely looking forward to upcoming fun fall weekends, and cooler weather of course, but I know that when Christopher starts school again in two weeks it's all over. I've got two really big work weeks coming up as well which are making me focus on a different sort of "To Do" list. 

As a sort of goodbye to summer, last night Christopher and I went and ate at Tequila's in Savannah, and walked down to Leopold's Ice Cream. It was hot and humid, but the streets of Savannah were quiet, and it was a good time for the two of us to reflect on such a fun season together. That got me thinking about my Summer 2014 Bucket List...

First off, don't 'they' say that it's the most creative types that can never finish anything? Then that must be me. I didn't finish me list {not even close} and the few projects within the list that I started are definitely not finished. Oops! So here's where I stand, and what's up ahead. 

1. Weekend Getaway to Charleston--nope. After moving at the beginning of summer, that became my vacation. Next...
2. Vanity for bedroom--CHECK-ish! And it's moved, twice. I've attempted to recover it and failed miserably. So it's definitely a work in progress.
3. Learn to play tennis--CHECK! I took a month of lessons in June, and Christopher and I have both gotten into it. We haven't played in a few weeks due to the heat, but it's on the schedule for this weekend.
4. Throw a white party--maybe next summer. I do have a very promising Pinterest board dedicated to it though. 
5. Build a sandcastle--okay, I honestly forgot about that one. 
6. Watch the sunrise on Tybee--CHECK-ish! Do you know how early the sun comes up? While I couldn't make that happen, we did walk out on the pier one night under the full moon. How romantic!
7. Unsubscribe from pointless emails--CHECK! This is a long process, that I'm diligently working on. I attempted to use the rolling unsubscribe me service, but it didn't seem to work. Maybe I'll try again. 
8. Read--I read "The Fault in Our Stars." And I attempted to read Mary Kay Andrew's "Save the Date," but couldn't really get in to it. I still need to make reading a regular priority. 
9. Watch all of FNL--nope. Not even close on that one. But I did watch all of Parks and Rec, and am working through Ghost Whisperer...
10. Take the boat out--nope.
11. Watch fireworks with my love--CHECK! We were able to do that at First Friday in Savannah in August. Can't wait to do that again soon. 
12. Go to Six Flags--CHECK!
13. Late Night Milkshakes--CHECK! Of course...that was easy. We've become regulars at the DQ this summer.
14. Get organized--always a work in progress! My new house is in pretty good shape, although the front bedroom aka my staging area, is a disaster. But at least I keep it contained, right?

I guess I didn't really do too bad. There's no shame in being overly ambitious for sure! What did you do this summer, or wish you had done? 

Looks like fall to me

Happy Labor Day, everyone! Have you noticed the days are already getting shorter and the sun has that fall tilt to it? I'm definitely in the mood for cooler weather, and I've been loving the crisp 68 degree mornings we had last week.

It's officially time for me to break out the fall work wardrobe tomorrow. Tonight will consist of reorganizing the closet...bye Lilly and seersucker...hello neutrals and layering pieces. While I'm in Savannah today, I definitely plan on hitting up some of these half off sales at Target and Old Navy to get some staple pieces. 

Two things I've been looking forward to this fall are Piko tops and long necklaces. I love the Kendra Scott look, but I love a good deal even better. Lucky me, I found both today! Do you check jane.com?  This website is set up kind of like a flash sale, with rotating products and limited quantities. Today they've got the jackpot! Piko tops and Kendra Scott look-a-like necklaces and earrings in a ton of colors. And they're all under $15 a piece! You better order quick, I feel sure these will sell out quickly! 

What colors should I get? There are too many to choose! I'm thinking about the mocha and berry Piko top, and the cream/white and black necklace and earrings...but of course I want the pink too!